Unraveling the truth behind the shooting death of Alex Preti in Minneapolis
Videos taken by witnesses did not show Alex Preti holding a gun before he was shot and killed by federal agents.
MINNEAPOLIS – President Donald Trump said his administration was “looking at everything” about the shooting death of Alex Preti and that immigration agents would be withdrawn “at some point” from Minnesota, where protests and conflicts between the federal government and state and local authorities have been escalating.
Trump’s comments came in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Sunday after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Preti, an ICU nurse treating veterans in Minneapolis. President Trump said his administration was “reviewing” the shooting and “expressing our resolve.”
But the administration has already blamed Preti for the shooting, quickly labeling him a “domestic terrorist” and claiming he brought guns to protests “to kill law enforcement.” Video from a witness shows Preti not brandishing a firearm but holding a cell phone before he was pinned to the ground and shot. The Minneapolis police chief said Preti, who has no criminal history, had a concealed weapons permit.
Preti’s death reignited anger over immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Less than three weeks earlier, Minneapolis had been rocked by the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Thousands of protesters have braved subzero temperatures in recent days to denounce the killings and demand an end to federal intervention.
“We’re angry. We’re scared. And we’re very sad about what happened,” said Leah Thompson, a Minneapolis resident who was one of many who gathered near where Preti was shot Sunday. “It’s really scary to think about what’s going on and what’s going to happen next.”
A federal judge in Minnesota will consider Monday whether an ongoing federal immigration crackdown violates state rights and should be temporarily halted.
The state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities sued the Department of Homeland Security on January 12, alleging the intervention amounted to “federal invasion” and violated Minnesota’s sovereignty. Government prosecutors have pushed back against the state’s legal theory, saying any action to expel federal employees would amount to an “unprecedented act of judicial overreach.”
U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez, who is overseeing the case, said the issues raised in the Minnesota case are “very important.”
“They deal with very basic relationships between government and state and local governments,” she says.
Trump said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that immigration enforcement agents would leave Minneapolis “at some point,” while his administration would “leave another group in Minneapolis for financial fraud.”
According to the newspaper, President Trump did not provide a schedule for when the staff would depart. But the president criticized Pretty for bringing a gun to monitor federal agents, even though he had a permit to carry one as an ICU nurse.
President Trump said, “I don’t like any kind of shooting. I don’t like it.” “But I don’t like it when someone goes to a protest and that person has a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded with bullets. That’s not good either.”
On January 25, the CEOs of 60 Minnesota-based companies, including Target, Best Buy, and General Mills, released a letter calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Trump administration, and state and local authorities to “immediately de-escalate tensions” in response to the fatal shooting of a man by federal agents in Minneapolis.
In a three-paragraph letter, the CEOs said their Minnesota companies have been working with federal, state and local officials over the past several weeks to “advance real solutions.” Their efforts included “close communication” with Gov. Tim Walz, President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and “local mayors.”
Signatories include retailers such as Target and Best Buy, and food companies such as General Mills and Cargill. Also included were companies such as 3M and US Bancorp, as well as sports teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx.
Shortly before the release of the letter, clergy accused Target of not responding to public and employee safety requests made to the company following the public detention of two Target employees in Litchfield, Minnesota.
“Their inaction on the above demands lacks the urgency required at this time,” the clergy said in a news release.
− betty lynn fisher, Kate Perez
The administration’s response to the shooting and continued federal presence earned two rare rebukes from a living former president.
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama called Preti’s shooting a “heartbreaking tragedy” and said it should serve as a “wake-up call to all Americans” that the country’s core values are under attack.
“Yet, the president and current administration officials appear intent on escalating the situation rather than imposing a semblance of discipline and accountability on the agents they sent,” the Obamas said in a statement. “This has to stop.”
Former President Bill Clinton called the situation in Minnesota a “terrifying scene” and condemned the continued presence of “undercover federal agents” and the killings of Preti and Renee Nicole Goode, who were shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on January 7.
“All of these are unacceptable and should have been avoided,” Clinton wrote. “To make matters worse, they lied to us at every turn, told us not to believe what they saw with their own eyes, and pushed increasingly aggressive and hostile tactics.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves played the Golden State Warriors on January 25th, a game that was originally scheduled for the night before but was postponed following the shooting incident.
The organization held a moment of silence in Goode’s honor during the Jan. 8 game for the second time in a month.
The moment of silence was interrupted by at least four cries of “(expletive) ICE” from fans, the moment of silence was heard in a video of the memorial service posted on social media and reviewed by USA TODAY. The moment of silence for Good ended with chants of “Go back ICE” and cheers.
Former Timberwolves executive Karl-Anthony Towns released a statement saying, “My thoughts are with the people of Minnesota.”
